Quick + Simple Pasta “Risotto” with Herbed Roasted Chickpeas.

Which is kind of odd, since there is a ton of snow on the ground and the temps are freezing…but the sun finally came out over the weekend and it brought a big smile to my face!! Yeah!! Even with the sun out though, it’s still pretty COLD. I’ve basically barricaded myself in fresh flowers in hopes to bring a resemblance of spring to my little barn a bit earlier this year. It’s all about positive thoughts right?!?

Totally, + I just really LOVE flowers. If they weren’t so expensive, I would be buying fresh flowers daily to sit atop my desk. Just looking at them makes my day a little brighter…thinking only a flower person would get that.

SO, my point here is that I am buying way too many flowers and craving all the fresh foods of spring… things could totally be worse. 🙂

OKAY and also?? My Super Bowl Sunday was maybe kind of sort of, filled will a lot of cheesy dip… and a lot of gooey chocolate (in the form of skillet cookies). Not gonna lie, it was good! Today though, today I am looking for something a little bit lighter, fresher and full of colors!! Hehe, I love me my colors!!

SIDE NOTE: how amazing would this quick pasta be for a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner on Sunday?!?! Oh my gosh, you MUST!! Oh and single ladies?? How about a girl’s night in?!? Again, you MUST!

Here’s the deal, I love traditional risotto, but I also love pasta. When I saw a recipe for pasta risotto in Bon Appetit the other month, it pretty much screamed, MAKE ME! I made mine very differently, and little more on the lighter side, but I promise guys this risotto is SO GOOD.

And yes, that is a poached egg on top. Poached/soft-boiled eggs + creamy, cheesy pasta is the ultimate. You have to try it. No really, you HAVE to.

So, just like the title states, this quick + simple pasta “risotto” is a great last minute dish. Simply cook the pasta just as you would traditional risotto, but since this is pasta and not rice, it takes about half the time. Risotto in under an hour?!?

YESSSS.

I kept the flavors pretty classic – white wine, a little garlic, parmesan cheese, basil and then topped it all off with fresh greens + eggs + roasted chickpeas and cauliflower. What? I REALLY like my toppings. 🙂

While the risotto is cooking on the stove top, you should be roasting your chickpeas. Roasted chickpeas are my current obsession. I’ve been making these on a weekly basis and adding them atop pretty much all of my meals. I love not only that they add a healthy source of protein, but also the flavor and crunchiness they add, so yummy, but especially yummy atop this pasta. TRUST me, you cannot skip the chickpeas, and there’s also some cauliflower in the mix for added veggies! You could totally sub (or add) broccoli as well. actually, I think broccoli might even be better…I love roasted broccoli!

OKAY and finally, that egg. In the recipe I say it is optional, BUT I am going to be honest, I would be so sad if you did not add some form of an egg to this pasta/risotto. The egg is the perfect finishing touch. If you make a runny egg like a poached or soft-boiled egg, the risotto almost turns to carbonara. OH MY. YES. YES. YES! Words cannot describe how good the egg is on here. Please, please, PLEASE give it a try.

And with that I will leave you to eat all of this pasta risotto….

Cause quick + simple pasta “risotto” is what a Monday really needs!

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3.86 from 34 votes

The Recipe

Quick + Simple Pasta "Risotto" with Herbed Roasted Chickpeas.

By halfbakedharvest

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: chickpeas, pasta, risotto, simple

I'm feeling major spring vibes with this risotto.

Prep Time15minutes

Cook Time25minutes

Total Time40minutes

Servings6Servings

Calories578kcal

Ingredients

Herbed Chickpeas

1(14 ounce)can chickpeasdrained + rinsed

1head cauliflowercut into florets (can sub broccoli if preferred), I used green Cauliflower

Quick Pasta "Risotto"

5 1/2cupschicken or veggies broth (I prefer to use chicken brothbut use veggie for a veggie version)

3/4cupfresh grated parmesan cheese + more for toppinguse vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast for vegan version

1/2cupfresh basil + more for topping

2cupsfresh baby kale

4-5poached or hard boil eggsoptional

Instructions

Herbed Chickpeas

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Spread the chickpeas out on a towel and dry them completely. Add the chickpeas + cauliflower to a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, salt + pepper. Toss well to evenly coat. Roast for 20 minutes and then stir the chickpeas/cauliflower around and roast another 20 minutes or until the chickpeas are golden. Remove from the oven and toss with the fresh herbs. Serve warm atop the pasta. Save any leftovers for snacking later!

Quick Pasta "Risotto"

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the olive oil + butter. Once hot, add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring ofter until the onion + garlic cloves are soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Slowly pour in the wine and bring to a simmer, simmer until the wine is reduced by half. Add the pasta and 2 cups of broth. Cook, stirring often until the broth is mostly absorbed. Add another 2 cups of broth and do the same as above, cooking until most of the pasta has absorbed the broth. Continue this process until the pasta is al dente and there is around 1 cup of broth left in the pot. Once the pasta is al dente, remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the parmesan, crushed red pepper flakes + basil. Taste and season as needed with salt + pepper.

Remove the cloves of garlic from the risotto. Stir the cauliflower florets into the risotto. Divide the risotto among bowls and top with a handful of baby kale, a poached egg and the roasted chickpeas. Garnish with more parmesan + basil. EAT!

this looks too good, will try very soon. quick question though: could you use those little pasta shapes that look like rice grains? (orzo, risoni, kritharaki) – of course adapting the cooking time a little cause they cook faster? thank you!

We are going from a warm weekend to a very cold week for us and I’ll use any excuse to make paste. I have several bags of pasta. I could make this recipe it looks very good especially the third picture.

AHHHHHH this looks so so so good!! I love chickpeas with pasta, it’s actually a staple in Portuguese homecooking, the “rancho” which is a dish cooked with pasta and chickpeas, so this one is majorly calling my name eheheheh!!http://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/

I have been obsessed with roasted herb chickpeas for months now. I end up roasting a batch every week, just for snacking. If I do a meal with them, then its a bonus for me, as I get to snack even more ! I have never tried them with pasta though, so I am keen to try. 🙂

Hey Tieghan. I noticed that you have ads on your blog site now. I don’t mind them EXCEPT the imbedded video ones. Those are so annoying bc they play and suck up bandwidth w/o my permission. Just saying……hope your week finds you surrounded by flowers.

This looks so delicious! I absolutely love risotto. Pasta is such a fun take on risotto. Ever since discovering your blog, I check it each weekday for your newest recipe. Your photos are just beautiful and make me smile.

I made this for my family last night. Went without the egg just to make it quicker. It was so delicious! Even my daughter, who usually doesn’t like creamy tasting pasta loved this. Thanks for a great weeknight recipe!

This was delicious! Made it last night and was so good we are making it for company coming over this weekend. Think will modify it a bit roasting chickpeas, kale and the broccoli with some lemon juice and various herbs as well for a bit more of a kick. Am loving all of your recipes that I have tried so far, can’t wait to keep trying more! 🙂

Tried it – frankly I would give it 3 out 5 stars. Need to update recipe to let people know they need 2 baking sheets – one for the chickpeas and one for the cauliflower – also the roasting time is too long, at least for my oven. It is different and just needs a little tweaking. The chickpeas are good for snacking, on salads, etc.

Thanks! I am not sure the the pasta would do all the great in the crockpot, might get soggy. BUT i think if you wanted to try it that adding everything all at once to the crockpot and cooking on low for 4 hours would be good. Let me know how it goes!

I made this tonight and it turned out delicious! Great combo between the pasta, chickpeas, cheese, greens and eggs! I was shocked at how much it made, I’ll have tons of leftovers! I didn’t have the herbs for the chickpeas so I used a seasoning blend instead, and I fried the eggs. I’m sure I’ll make this again, thanks!

I’ve made this twice and really love the flavors, veggie and egg combos! I’m struggling that both times it’s been a little “starchy”. I used shells the first time, which wasn’t a great fit, and orzo the second time. Do you have any advice to make it less gluey?

HI! So it’s hard to say without know ing how you are cooking this, but my only suggestion is less cooking time and less liquid. The more you stir this, the starchier it will become. Please let me know if you have other questions. So glad you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂

Meet Tieghan Gerard.

I’m Tieghan, the recipes you’ll find here are inspired by the people and places I love most. I try to live simply, eat seasonally, and cook with whole foods. My hope is to inspire a love for amazing food, as well as the courage to try something new!